Despite the Crown Prince’s execution, the Emperor ordered his burial in the imperial tomb. On the day the coffin was taken from the palace, Taohua slipped out of the manor with the jade pendant Shen Zaiye had given her, taking advantage of his absence.
The autumn wind blew desolately, and the roads on the outskirts of the city were muddy. The Crown Prince’s coffin was escorted by imperial guards, the wheels of the cart rumbling along the way. Jiang Taohua waited at the farewell pavilion. Shortly after the coffin passed, an ordinary carriage arrived.
Taohua stood up as Qingtan quickly hung curtains around the pavilion. The carriage stopped, and Mu Wuyin and Lady Li stepped out.
“It is you,” Lady Li said, her emotions complex as she looked at the person in the pavilion. Her tone lacked its previous harshness and instead carried a hint of inexplicable guilt.
Mu Wuyin gazed at her with deep eyes, walking a few steps closer before saying in a low voice, “You’re incredibly bold.”
“This concubine is merely repaying a debt of gratitude,” Taohua smiled. “The house you promised me before contains, as agreed, enough silver for you both to live out your days comfortably. Away from the court, you can try living an ordinary, peaceful life.”
Slightly startled, Mu Wuyin frowned. “So even back then, you were already planning an escape route for me?”
He had thought his sincere efforts in buying her the best house and preparing ample funds had been misplaced, but now…
His expression softened as he lowered his gaze. “I misjudged you.”
“You didn’t misjudge me,” Taohua sighed, looking at him. “This concubine initially approached you with ill intentions, deceiving you to bring about your downfall.”
“You!” Lady Li’s brow furrowed again. “How can you be so vicious? If you were already so cruel, why pretend to be kind now?”
“Please calm down, Your Highness,” Taohua bowed her head. “We each serve our masters.”
Mu Wuyin glanced around, frowning as he asked, “Is sparing us your idea alone, or is Shen Zaiye plotting something again?”
“It’s this concubine’s idea alone,” Taohua replied. “You two can leave without worry.”
“Are you sure?” Mu Wuyin shook his head. “Shen Zaiye is cunning and treacherous. You’re right under his nose. How could he not know what you’re doing?”
Taohua paused, tilting her head to think carefully. He shouldn’t know, right? She hadn’t shown any signs, and he didn’t seem to have noticed anything. If he had discovered her actions, how could he not stop her? He would have already brought troops to eliminate the threat.
“As long as you leave the capital and never return, Lord Shen won’t be able to use you,” she said. “If you want to know whether he knows, just get in the carriage and leave. If no one comes to stop you, then the Prime Minister surely doesn’t know.”
That seemed reasonable. Mu Wuyin nodded and was about to leave when he couldn’t help but stop to ask her, “Is saving us this time truly just to repay my kindness?”
Smiling nervously, Taohua replied, “That’s the main reason.”
“And the minor reason?”
Jiang Taohua smiled without answering, waving for Qingtan to usher them back into the carriage.
What was the minor reason? She wasn’t entirely sure herself. It was just that Shen Zaiye’s path was destined to be paved with blood and bones. If she could accumulate some good karma for him, it might lessen his sins a bit. After all, although Mu Wuyin wasn’t fit to be emperor, he had indeed been brought to this state by Shen’s methods.
She wasn’t worried about Shen Zaiye; someone who did such things didn’t fear retribution. It was just… what if retribution did exist?
The carriage set off, slowly moving further away along the outskirts of the city. Shen Zaiye watched from atop the city wall, his face expressionless.
“You’re letting him go just like that?” Xu Yangui couldn’t understand. “It’s understandable for Jiang Taohua to be soft-hearted, but why are you being so indecisive?”
That was a prince, after all. If something went wrong in the future…
“She feels guilty,” Shen Zaiye spoke calmly. “She’s ruthless towards me but feels remorse for harming others. If letting Mu Wuyin go can ease her conscience, then let her do it.”
“But…”
“You don’t need to worry,” Shen Zaiye guessed what he wanted to say and raised his hand. “Mu Wuyin will only live out the rest of his life quietly, never having the chance to return to the capital.”
Xu Yangui was surprised and looked Shen Zaiye up and down several times. “Don’t you think… your behavior is indulging her too much?”
“Indulging?” Shen Zaiye snorted coldly, turning to walk down from the city wall. “When you’ve kept a pet for a long time, feeding it is only natural. Don’t overthink it.”
Is that so? Xu Yangui narrowed his eyes and moved closer to Shen Zaiye, teasing, “I’m not your official wife. If you like Jiang Taohua, why hide it from me?”
Half of Shen Zaiye’s face darkened as he kicked Xu Yangui away, straightened his robe, and got into the carriage heading back to the manor.
When Taohua returned, Shen Zaiye was already drinking tea in Zhengchun Pavilion.
“My Lord!” She quickly went to greet him, blinking as she asked, “When did you return?”
“Just now,” he put down his teacup and pulled her into his arms, gently asking, “Where did you go?”
Her heart skipped a beat, and Taohua quickly buried her face in his shoulder, saying softly, “I went out to look at jewelry.”
“Did you see anything you liked?”
“No,” Taohua laughed dryly. “Either too expensive or not suitable for me.”
Shen Zaiye smirked and took out a pink jade peach blossom hairpin, inserting it into her bun. “What about this one?”
Taohua was stunned and immediately ran to the dressing table to look. It was a rare pink ice jade, with the peach blossom carved exquisitely. The golden flower accents made it look even more precious.
“You bought this for me?” She could hardly believe it.
Shen Zaiye stood up and walked behind her, looking at her through the mirror. “I was idle today and also browsed the jewelry shops in the capital. This was the only one that caught my eye.”
A chill spread from the soles of her feet, and Taohua stared blankly at Shen Zaiye in the mirror, momentarily frozen.
Was there a hidden meaning in his words? Had he discovered her lie? That didn’t make sense. If he had caught her lying, he would surely be furious. How could he still be in the mood to give her a hairpin?
He must be trying to trick her!
Composing herself, Taohua smiled and said, “My Lord, you’ve spent too much. I like it.”
Gently embracing her from behind, his chin resting on top of her head, Shen Zaiye’s gaze was very soft as he said in a low voice, “I should thank you. If it weren’t for you convincing many people in the rear court, my current situation might not be so favorable.”
Among the Nine Ministers, only Mei Fengchang remained stubbornly opposed. The rest had all turned to his camp. The women in the rear court served as bridges, links, and stepping stones. Those people used the stepping stones to come down, and he had no reason not to accept them.
Although the Emperor hadn’t named the Prince Nan as Crown Prince, looking at the court, Mu Wuyin and Mu Wugou were already dead, and the Heng Prince was crippled. No matter how one looked at it, only Mu Wuxia remained as a candidate for the throne.
Things would be settled soon.
Taohua touched the hairpin and raised an eyebrow, saying, “So after all my hard work, this is my only reward? My Lord, aren’t you being too stingy?”
“What else do you want?” Shen Zaiye asked, looking at her in the mirror.
Taohua thought for a moment, then turned around and grabbed his sleeve, putting on a pitiful expression. “According to protocol, will I only be able to see the Zhao state envoys once in the palace? I miss home so much and haven’t seen anyone from Zhao for so long. Is there any way you can arrange for me to speak with them privately?”
She had already taken the final antidote, but she hadn’t calculated when the next attack would occur. The timing probably wasn’t right, but without private contact, how could she get the antidote?
Shen Zaiye looked down at her. “You’re only my concubine. By rights, you should only stand by my side to greet the Zhao envoys and exchange a few words. Meeting privately might be difficult.”
“My Lord~” Taohua began to act coquettishly, tugging at his sleeve and shaking it, blinking her eyes. “You’re the most capable. There’s nothing in Great Wei you can’t accomplish. Won’t you help me?”
This trick again? Shen Zaiye looked at her with deep eyes. “Call me a few more times.”
Calling a hundred times wouldn’t be a problem! Taohua wiped her face and twisted her body gracefully and charmingly, making even the handkerchief at her waist flutter.
“My Lord~ My Lord~ My Lord~”
Outside, Zhanlu shuddered and immediately moved three big steps away from the main house.
Shen Zaiye, however, listened with a smile. He reached out to pull the handkerchief from her waist and said in a low voice, “Since you’re so sincere, then become my official wife. That way, I can rightfully invite the Zhao envoys to our manor.”
The rules of status and rank in Great Wei were very strict. If Taohua were only a concubine, his hosting a banquet for the Zhao envoys on her behalf would arouse the Emperor’s suspicion. But if she were promoted to his main wife and hosted the banquet herself as the lady of the house, it wouldn’t involve him.
Jiang Taohua paused, instinctively nodding first, “Alright.”
But then she remembered something: “My Lord, I don’t think I’ve even performed a proper ceremony when entering your household.”
And she hadn’t received any red envelopes!
Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow. “You still care about those formalities?”
“Of course I do,” Taohua pouted. “What woman doesn’t want to be carried into her husband’s home in a grand sedan chair through the main gate?”
Let alone being carried in, at least the red envelopes she was supposed to receive from the household shouldn’t be skipped. Last time, Qin Huaiyu received so many!
“Don’t make a fuss. The Zhao envoys will arrive soon,” Shen Zaiye pinched her twisting waist and said in a low voice, “Since you miss home so much, prepare well. As for becoming the main wife, I just need to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs and have everyone in the rear court pay their respects to you.”
“Alright.” After all, it was a windfall, so she couldn’t ask for too much. Taohua nodded obediently and gave Shen Zaiye a big hug. “Thank you for your kindness, My Lord!”
Shen Zaiye curved his lips, looking at their entwined reflections in the mirror, thinking how merciful he had truly become.
The news of Jiang Taohua’s promotion to main wife exploded in the rear court, with everyone rushing to congratulate her. Although there were no formal red envelopes for the ceremony, she still received quite a few congratulatory gifts.
Linghan Court was deathly silent.
Mei Zhaoxue quietly poured tea, a stream of tea water flowing steadily into the cup, as still as a painting.
(End of Chapter)